I sat alone in the dimly lit hallway, it was around 2:00 AM. and most of the nurses were at the nurses station. All I could seem to pray was, " Lord please don't let her suffer anymore," With that I went back into the intensive care room. My wife had a rare heart disease and had been given 1-2 years to live, this was the end of the second year. I noticed that she wasn't asleep and once again I asked her, " Honey are you sure that you asked Jesus to forgive your sins and be your Savior?" She winked her eyes one time in an affirmative yes. She was on a respirator and couldn't speak, in fact she could hardly move anything but her eyes; they had given her a number of muscle relaxers in order to put her on the respirator. We had devised this plan so that we could communicate, one wink was for yes and two winks was for no.

Several nights before she had to go into the hospital, she came into the living room and said, "will you come into the bedroom and pray with me?" I felt so helpless, I had not prayed for many years, in fact I had been running from God and had been a Christian at one time. Even though I didn't profess to be a Christian, I had shared the gospel message with her numerous times over the years. We went in and sat on the edge of the bed, she prayed and all I could do was hold her hand.

Just as the doctor came in, my wife went into total heart failure, I could only watch as he did all he could for her. She lurched up off the bed and peaceably sank back down. With tear filled eyes the doctor look at me and said, "she is gone." She was 28 yrs. old.

Gone Where?

For the Christian

What Jesus told a dying man.

Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

What Apostle Paul said

Philippians 1:21-24 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
24. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.
7. For we walk by faith, not by sight.
8. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

God created us as triune beings.

1 Thessalonians 5: 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When a person dies, the spirit and soul leaves the body. If the person is a Christian, they depart to be with Jesus Christ.

Where is Jesus Christ?

In paradise-heaven

Luke 23:42   And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

In heaven sitting at the right hand of God

Acts 1:11   Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

1 Peter 3:22   Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

Acts 7:55-56   But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56. And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Jesus Christ is in heaven and for a Christian, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Two years after my wife's death I finally recommitted my life to the lord, after I was shipwrecked upon the rocks of alcoholism and drug abuse. The Lord picked up all the broken pieces and gave me a new life, a life of peace, joy and hope. That was around twenty years ago.

My friend do you know Jesus as your Savior?

Following is a simple A-B-C plan of God's salvation.

The Gospel message is that God loves you and that you can have eternal life through His only begotton Son, His Majesty, The Lord Jesus Christ; but you must make the choice yourself. The Lord invites you to receive Him into your life, right now as your Savior. God will not get you into a headlock and force you, to accept Him, He loves you and invites you. Following is three steps " A-B-C " to receive Christ into your life.

A. Recognize

1. God Loves You

John 3:16 God so loved the world ( people ) that He gave His Only Begotton Son and whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life.

2. God Desires That None Perish

2 Peter 2:9 God wills that none perish, but that all should come to repentance.

3. Jesus Died For Our Sins

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Christ died for our sins, He was buried and rose again on the third day.

B. Recognize

1. Your Need of Jesus Christ

Romans 3:10, 23 There is none righteous, no, not one: all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

1 John 5:12 He that has the Son has life, and he that has not the Son of God, has not life

2. Jesus Christ is The Only Way

John 14:6 Jesus said, " I am the way, the truth, the life, no man comes to the Father but by Me."

Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."

C. Recognize

1. To Receive Salvation You Must Ask Him

Romans 10:13 Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved

John 1:12 As many as receive Him. to them gives He power to become the sons of God

My friend the choice is yours, acknowledge to God that you have sinned and that you need Jesus Christ. Today is the day of salvation, will you come to Jesus? Right now, before it's to late.

A prayer: Lord please forgive all my sins, I believe in Jesus Christ, that He died for me and rose again on the 3rd. Day. I repent and turn to you Lord Jesus and accept you as my Savior.

If you have sincerely prayed and accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior then according to God's Word, you are now a Christian. There are some things that you should do: Attend a church that preaches God's Word, and Jesus Christ as Lord. Begin to read the New Testament and fellowship with other Christians.

Romans 10:9-10 says:

9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

* If you invited Jesus into your life then confess Him to someone, tell them that you have accepted Jesus as your Savior.

In Christ's Service
E.L. Davis